Each year, the Equal Pay Coalition (EPC) designates a day that represents the amount of extra time the average woman must work to catch up to what the average man earned in the previous year. This year, the designated Equal Pay Day (EPD) in Ontario is Thursday, April 10th, symbolizing the fact that a woman will work 15.5 months to earn pay equal to a man’s annual salary. Although pay equity is the law in Ontario, women continue to earn almost 30% less than men on average. This pay gap affects women of all ages and education levels. Black and racialized women, Indigenous women, 2SLGBTQI+ women, and women living with disabilities face the greatest wage disparity.
The EPC is comprised of dozens of unions, women’s groups and community organizations seeking to end gender pay discrimination and close the gender pay gap through legislation, collective bargaining, and social initiatives. OSSTF/FEESO is a member of the EPC and, as part of this coalition, we continue to urge the Ontario government to make meaningful changes to pay equity legislation and to remove other systemic gender barriers that lead to the wage gap.
On April 10th, to highlight Equal Pay Day, the EPC is hosting a hybrid “Lunch and Learn” from 12:00 – 1:30 p.m. at the Centre for Social Innovation (192 Spadina Avenue, Toronto) and on Zoom. To open the event, EPC will have economist Armine Yalnizyan, who will address the gender impact of the current economic context. This will lead into a panel discussion presentation from frontline workers in public and private sectors that are being affected by the US tariffs. The event will conclude with an organizing workshop with organizer extraordinaire Pam Frache from Justice for Workers.
OSSTF/FEESO encourages members to take part in this event over their lunch break. If you’re planning to join, please register through Eventbrite to receive the Zoom link and confirm your attendance:
Equal Pay Day Lunch & Learn on Thursday, April 10th, 12:00 – 1:30 p.m.
https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/equal-pay-day-free-lunch-learn-tickets-1303282465939?aff=oddtdtcreator
Join us in amplifying the Equal Pay Coalition’s message on Equal Pay Day! We encourage all OSSTF/FEESO members to take part by visiting Equal Pay Coalition (https://equalpaycoalition.org/), following them on Bluesky @equalpaycoalition.bsky.social and on Instagram @equalpaycoalition, and sharing videos featuring women in the care economy. You can also add the Equal Pay Day logo to your social media accounts to show your support. Stay tuned to OSSTF/FEESO’s social media channels for more ways to take action on Equal Pay Day! #EqualPayDay #EqualPay
If you require additional information, contact Samantha Wilson at the Provincial Office at samantha.wilson@osstf.ca.
